The plot thickens: Ovipleistophora diplostomuri infects two additional species of Florida crayfish

Cheyenne E Stratton; Paul Moler; Thomas W Allain; Lindsey S Reisinger; Donald C Behringer; Jamie Bojko

doi:10.1016/j.jip.2022.107766

The plot thickens: Ovipleistophora diplostomuri infects two additional species of Florida crayfish

J Invertebr Pathol. 2022 Jun:191:107766. doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107766. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Authors

Cheyenne E Stratton¹, Paul Moler², Thomas W Allain³, Lindsey S Reisinger⁴, Donald C Behringer⁵, Jamie Bojko⁶

Affiliations

¹ Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA. Electronic address: c.stratton@ufl.edu.
² Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
³ School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
⁴ Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA.
⁵ Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
⁶ School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK; National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK.

PMID: 35472375
DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107766

Abstract

Ovipleistophora (Microsporidia) is a globally distributed genus of obligate parasites that infect fish, Crustacea, and trematodes. We report on two additional crayfish hosts, Procambarus pictus (Simms Creek, Florida) and Procambarus fallax (Santa Fe River, Florida), that exhibited signs of high-intensity microsporidian infection in the musculature. Sequence data (SSU) for the isolates were 99.79% and 99.97% similar to Ovipleistophora diplostomuri parasitizing Procambarus bivittatus. Additional screening of regional fish species (Lepomis macrochirus) revealed additional microsporidian diversity (Potaspora) but did not include Ovipleistophora. Detecting Clade V isolates in multiple host groups provides further evidence for trophic transmission among Clade V microsporidia.

Keywords: Crayfish; Ecology; Microsporidia; Pathogen; Trophic transmission.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Astacoidea
Fishes
Florida
Microsporidia*
Microsporidiosis*
Pansporablastina*
Phylogeny

Supplementary concepts

Ovipleistophora diplostomuri